The Awareness Center closed. We operated from April 30, 1999 - April 30, 2014. This site is being provided for educational & historical purposes.
We were the international Jewish Coalition Against Sexual Abuse/Assault (JCASA); and were dedicated to ending sexual violence in Jewish communities globally. We did our best to operate as the make a wish foundation for Jewish survivors of sex crimes. In the past we offered a clearinghouse of information, resources, support and advocacy.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Son made allegations that his mother began interfering with him when he was five years old and that she had full sexual intercourse with him when he was 13. He further claims that his father, knew what was going on but did nothing to prevent it. The developed bulimia, the binge eating disorder.

Having left home at 15, he got back in touch with his parents after he married and became a father.

Abuse claim in will fightBy Leon SymonsJewish Chronical - July 13, 2001THE CASE of a man who believes he is entitled to a share of his late mother's £240,000 estate, claiming she sexually abused him, was being heard behind closed doors at the High Court this week.(Name Removed) Marks, from Poole, in Dorset, says his mother, Marla, left him nothing when she died two years ago.Mr Marks, an only child, wanted the case heard in open court, but Mr Justice Etherton ruled that it should be conducted in private. However, the court agreed that material in the public domain before the decision could be published.Mr Marks, now 48, alleges that his mother began interfering with him when he was five years old and that she had full sexual intercourse with him when he was 13. He further claims that his father, Harold, who died in 1995, knew what was going on but did nothing to prevent it.Mr Marks developed bulimia, the binge eating disorder, his weight soaring to more than 23 stone.Having left home at 15, he got back in touch with his parents after he married and became a father.His mother — who, he says, had spells in psychiatric hospital suffering from severe anxiety neurosis, phobias and depression — asked Mr Marks to help sort out his father's affairs after he died, paying him £1,000.But he claims that in 1996, she made sexually suggestive remarks to him which exacerbated his bulimia.It is alleged that his mother had already made a will leaving everything to her grandson.However, Mr Marks claims that after he rebuffed her, she made another will dividing her estate bet-ween her two sisters, Lilian Halton and Helen Shafier.On Monday, Roger Bartlett, acting for the sisters, asked for the case to be heard in private, telling Mr Justice Etherton that it involved intimate personal and financial details. Mr Bartlett also contended that Mrs Marks was not there to defend her reputation against "allegations of the most serious kind."Describing the case as "perhaps unique," Daniel Lightman, for Mr Marks, said his client would be "very upset" if the hearing were conducted in private. But the judge disagreed.

A DORSET man who tried to claim a share of his late mother's £220,000 estate, alleging that she sexually abused him, has lost his action.

Mr Justice Etherton ruled that, although the abuse may have occurred, (NAME REMOVED) Marks had not provided the required level of proof to satisfy the court that his claims were true.

He also criticised Mr Marks for disobeying his instructions. Directed not to speak to anyone about the case during his two-day cross-examination, Mr Marks had apparently made contact with a witness.

The judge pointed out that as the claimant had written to his mother, Marla, in 1996 effectively disowning her, the case was principally one of estrangement.

"Mr Marks had failed to show that he was entitled to financial provision from his mother's estate. Though it is difficult not to feel sympathy for him, he is an adult who has been married and run his own business."

In what was believed to be a unique case, Mr Marks, 48, from Poole, contested his mother's will, which left the estate to her sisters, Lilian Halton and Helen Shafier.

He alleged his mother had sexually abused him from the age of five, having full sexual intercourse with him when he was 13.

He said his late father, Harold — who was impotent and disfigured through illness — had known what was going on, but did nothing to prevent it.

His mother had written one will leaving everything to his son, while Mr Marks was an undischarged bankrupt. But after his 1996 letter to her, she changed the will in favour of her sisters. Currently unemployed, Mr Marks was granted legal aid to pursue the action.

Following the verdict, the sisters' solicitor, Michael Sheville, said: "The family is naturally pleased and relieved by the decision that has been made and that the reputations of the late Marla and Harold Marks have been cleared."

Mr Marks commented: "There are no winners in a case like this. I now intend to move forward in my life and will not appeal against this decision."

The judge had decreed at the outset that evidence should be heard in private because of the sensitive nature of the allegations, but delivered his verdict in open court.

He also ruled that the estimated £35,000 costs of the sisters and the will's executors should be met from the estate.

FAIR USE NOTICESome of the information on The Awareness Center's web pages may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. I am making such material available in my efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc.

I believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.

For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml . If you wish to use copyrighted material from this update for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Following Vicki Polin's original public statement regarding Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch's Guidelines for calling the police is a statement written by Rabbi Dr. Daniel Eidensohn on his blog
called Daas Torah's blog. Rabbi Sternbuch is the Chief Rabbi of the Orthodox Rabbinical
Courts in Har Nof, Jerusalem, Israel and is telling his community members that they MUST get permission from a rabbi prior to contacting child protective services or any form of law enforcement ins suspected cases of child abuse or neglect.

Following
Daniel Eidensohn's comment made on June 16, 2008, you will
find two responses from Vicki Polin, who is the founder and director of
The Awareness Center, along with a copy of the new psak created by
Sternbuch.

Daniel Eidensohn
is a psychotherapist in private practice since 1970. According to Dr.
Eidesohn's linkedin account, he states he specializes in short
term solution oriented therapy for resolution of religious conflicts
which are misunderstood as being psychological problems. Eidensohn
received his masters degree from Brooklyn, College, his doctorate from
Adelphi University and his rabbinic education from Shor Yoshuv.

There
is a widespread impression that the police and the chareidi world have
an inherently antagonistic relationship. There is also a widespread
perception that the chareidi world is more concerned with covering up
crimes such as child or wife abuse and that pedophiles are given free
run. In other words there is a perception that the chareidi community is
more worried by adverse publicity then it is about the welfare of the
individual.

This Shabbos I had an intensive discussion with Rav Moshe Sternbuch, shlita about these issues.

1) Child Molesters
He stated without hesitation and said that I can quote him - that if one
knows that children are being molested that one should call the police.
He noted that there is an important distinction to keep in mind. One
calls the police when it is clear that someone is still in danger. Thus
one does not automatically call the police concerning an event that took
place once and is not going to be repeated. In such a case one should
first consult with a rav. When I mentioned that many rabbis apparently
felt differently “ he dismissed such a view as being wrong. He noted
also that it is important for the community rabbis to have a good
working relationship with the police. That means that the police need to
be sensitive to the needs and nature of the chareidi community and the
community needs to be understanding of the police. He said that there is
such a relationship with many police forces.

The rule is summarized simply “ if one knows that someone is being
physically abused or will be abused than it is required to call the
police after consulting a rabbi who agrees he is a future danger as is
common in such cases.

2) Vigilante actions
I mentioned the issue of vigilante actions in the chareidi community and
whether they are to be praised or condemned. He noted that there are
unfortunately disturbed and misguided individuals in the chareidi
community “ as there are in other communities. The general rule is not
to make a public protest when the problem is rare and insignificant. He
said that it only encourages these individuals when their activities
are publicized. However if they progress beyond this stage then it is
important to take action. He mentioned the Bedatz dealt last year with
vigilantes who burned down a clothing store in Geula. I mentioned the
recent incident in Beitar. He said he condemned such behavior. If it is
clearly not a rare act of a disturbed person then it needs to be dealt
with.

[This is also related to the recent outbreak of burglaries in Har Nof
where Rav Sternbuch lives. The unanimous ruling of the rabbonim of Har
Nof is that one can call the police on Shabbos if one witnesses a
break-in as there is also life danger involved. As is explained in
Shmiras Shabbos K'hilchosa (41:25-29) “ this is because the possible
danger associated with these break-ins. See also Aruch HaShulchan (C.M.
388:7). Tzitz Eliezer (19:52) also permitted calling the police in the
case of teacher molesting his students. He based his psak on the Aruch
HaShulchan.]

It saddens me a great deal to read the posting on Daas Torah's blog.
With all the information and education that is available to our
rabbonim it appears that they are still refusing to learn from their
past mistakes. I'll admit that I have never heard of Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch until I received an e-mail with the link to this blog. (Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch, shlita, senior member of the Jerusalem Beit Din Tzedek (Jewish Religious Court)

My
hope by providing the following information will help to prevent one
more child from being harmed and that those who are already victims of
sex crimes, the will be able to receive the proper help.

It's obvious that Rabbi Sternbuch is lacking basic knowledge about sex offenders and the needs of those who have been sexually violated as children.
The most important message that needs to get out is that each of us
should consider ourselves mandated reporters. This basically means if
you SUSPECT a child is in danger you have to call your local hotline, rape crisis center or police. You don't go to a rabbi to get permission or have them make the call. The key word here is "SUSPECT." We need to leave all the investigating and fact finding/gathering to law enforcement and not our rabbonim.

Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch

Most
children don't come out and say "I'm being raped at home, school, camp
and or in shul." If we suspect a child is being harmed or at risk of
harm it's vitally important that we don't ask the child leading
questions. It's best to have a highly trained mental health professional
and or child protection worker who works with law enforcement to talk
to the child to get information.

How many times do I have to remind everyone that our rabbis DO NOT
have specialized training in collecting forensic evidence nor do they
have the education, training or skills to do a victim sensitive
interview. Going to a rav "with concerns" just doesn't work. It's much
better for the individual who suspects a child is at risk of harm to
call their local child abuse hotlines directly.

The
concern Rabbi Sternbuch has regarding child protection workers, rape
victim advocates and the police not being "sensitive to the needs and
nature of the charedi community" is not true in most cases. Most
professionals want to do what they can to help and understand the
cultural differences. I'm sure that Rabbi Sternbuch knows this and I'm
afraid to say I think that he is trying to sell a bag of goods, with his
fear tactics of saying the police will not work with or understand the
cultural differences.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The insensitive condescension of the secular towards the Orthodox community

By Daniel Eidensohn

Daas Torah Blog - June 16, 2008

Daniel Eidensohn, Blogger

One
of the consequences of my posting Rav Sternbuch’s psak regarding
calling the police for child molesters is the manifestation of the
significant gap between those who observe halacha and those who accept
secular ideas and values as the objective standard of reality. I had
noted that one of the reasons for consulting with a rav is the fact that
the police and mental health workers are not always sensitive to
religious values and not always sensitive to the welfare of the child.
There is often a condescending attitude towards the “primitive” or
“unenlightened” Orthodox which is the result of cultural bias – not
scientific facts.

An
example of the concern that religious Jews have about the secular
system is clearly manifest in the following letter I received. I am
using Vicki Polin’s letter as an example because there is no question
that she is sincere and dedicated in helping people. But it is also
clear she has no clue about halacha and religious
sensibilities. She read my first posting, and assumed that Rav
Sternbuch – who she admits she never heard of before – must be ignorant.
And she was so sure – without checking the facts – that she writes a
strong letter of condemnation to be posted on my blog. She drew the
erroneous conclusion that his concern is shielding the molester from the
police – when in fact the opposite is true. She concludes with “Most
professionals want to do what they can to help and understand the
cultural differences. I'm sure that Rabbi Sternbuch knows this and I'm
afraid to say I think that he is trying to sell a bag of goods, with his
fear tactics of saying the police will not work with or understand the
cultural differences.”

A
rather condescending comment which those in the religious community
find offensive and as justification for their concerns with the insensitivities towards religious values.

Here are four examples of many from my personal experience.

1) I once consulted with a secular psychologist
regarding a yeshiva bachur who had problems of low self-esteem. The
psychologist responded that the problem was the result of the fact that
the 17 year old bachur did not have a girl friend for sexual relations. When I objected that this was unacceptable, he replied that this was the only possible treatment for the problem!

2)
I know a frum family which was falsely accused of child abuse. The
police department was called in and they arrived in force - insisting on
being allowed into the house without warrant – or the parents would be
taken to jail. They then demanded that all the children be separated
from their parents and interrogated. It was only due to the fact that
one of the neighbors was a lawyer that the crude pressure tactics were
called off and the lawyer said this is not unusual. Even if the
accusations were true, there was no justification
for the gross insensitivity displayed. Even if we grant that these
mental health professions really want to help – it doesn’t ensure that
they act appropriately.

3) One of the social workers who was interrogating the children asked a ten year old girl how many children there were in the family. When she was told that there were nine children, this frum girl was asked how many men her mother had lived with.

4) I once was dealing with a yeshiva bachur who was placed in a mental hospital after attempting suicide. I was asked to give background information to the social worker at the hospital. When I asked her not
to lock the door of her office because it was against Jewish law, she
asked me with a smirk, whether I was afraid she would attack me.

It
saddens me a great deal to read this posting. With all the information
and education that is available to our rabbonim it appears that they are
still refusing to learn from their past mistakes. I'll admit that I
have never heard of Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch until I received an e-mail
with the link to this blog.

My
hope by providing the following information will help to prevent one
more child from being harmed and that those who are already victims of
sex crimes, the will be able to receive the proper help.

It's
obvious that Rabbi Sternbuch is lacking basic knowledge about sex
offenders and the needs of those who have been sexually violated as
children. The most important message that needs to get out is that each
of us should consider ourselves mandated reporters. This basically means
if you SUSPECT a child is in danger you have to call your local
hotline, rape crisis center or police. You don't go to a rabbi to get
permission or have them make the call. The key word here is "SUSPECT."
We need to leave all the investigating and fact finding/gathering to law
enforcement and not our rabbonim.

Most
children don't come out and say "I'm being raped at home, school, camp
and or in shul." If we suspect a child is being harmed or at risk of
harm it's vitally important that we don't ask the child leading
questions. It's best to have a highly trained mental health professional
and or child protection worker who works with law enforcement to talk
to the child to get information.

How
many times do I have to remind everyone that our rabbis DO NOT have
specialized training in collecting forensic evidence nor do they have
the education, training or skills to do a victim sensitive interview.
Going to a rav "with concerns" just doesn't work. It's much better for
the individual who suspects a child is at risk of harm to call their
local child abuse hotlines directly.

The concern Rabbi Sternbuch has regarding child protection workers,
rape victim advocates and the police not being "sensitive to the needs
and nature of the charedi community" is not true in most cases. Most
professionals want to do what they can to help and understand the
cultural differences. I'm sure that Rabbi Sternbuch knows this and I'm
afraid to say I think that he is trying to sell a bag of goods, with his
fear tactics of saying the police will not work with or understand the
cultural differences.

It saddens me that you would write such a strong letter of condemnation
to my statements posted on your blog. I wanted to make sure that you are
aware that I have been living within the eruv of various orthodox
communities for just under 10 years. Though I am no longer looking to
become observant, I am very familiar with many of the cultural issues
pertaining to sex crimes. When I've had questions I have always sought
out one of my halachic advisors.

I'm sorry that your experience
with the secular world has been to be looked down at. I have never
thought of the Torah observant community as being "Primitive" or
"unenlightened." I have used the terms "insulated " and "unaware," yet
never "primitive" or unenlightened." I have often asked myself, how can
someone have information or reach a level of awareness if they have not
been education on various issues?

It was until around 1999 -
2001, that sexual abuse began to be discussed in orthodox circles. It
wasn't until the case of rabbi Baruch Lanner hit the news media, did the religious world start paying attention.

In 1999 I started transforming my private practice web page into what is know The Awareness Center's site. In 2001
The Awareness Center really began to organize during the time I was living in Jerusalem, Israel. It was at this time that I realized how little was known in how to deal with cases
appropriately in the religious world. When I saw appropriate I am
meaning reporting crimes to law enforcement, verses chasing the offender
out of town -- or shaming and blaming the victim (or their family
members) into silence.

I became aware of the severity of the
problem when I started doing outreach with a friend with religious teens
who made their way down to Ben Yehuda. Just about every teen I met
disclosed stories to me of molestation. Some of the kids were incest
survivors others were being abused by neighbors, teachers, rabbis, etc.
When I tried to get them help -- there was really nothing out there set
up to address the issues. Most of the teens I spoke with came from
communities such as Neve Yaakov and Har Nof.

Most of those who
work in the field of sexual violence have at least a masters degree.
This means 4 years of college, plus two years of graduate school. After
they receive their masters degrees they are required to received at
least 1000 hours of supervision prior to becoming licensed. Law
enforcement officials who work sex crimes also have to undergo vigorous
training in this highly specialized field.

Though our rabbis are
experts in halacha, they are not experts in criminal matters, especially
sex crimes committed against our children. When The Awareness Center
first got started, I could not find one rabbi who could explain the
difference between sexual assault and sexual harassment. Whenever the
topic came up of child molestation in which the perpetrator and the
victim were male, they automatically called the sex crime -- "homosexual
behavior." Unfortunately, in most insulated communities using the wrong
terms to describe a sex crime still occurs. By using incorrect
termonology often shames and blames the victim and little is done to
stop the assailant, which ends up with the offender creating move
victims.

Those who are gay do not commit sex crimes anymore then
those are heterosexual. When a male sex offender molests a child who is
male -- this is NOT "homosexual behavior". The same is true in cases in
which a yeshiva bochur is manipulated or forced into having sexual
relations with a rav, or anyone else. These are SEX CRIMES!

I'm
sorry you are confusing facts and the attempt to prevent anyone else
from being a victim of a sex crimes as being condescending, offensive or
insensitive towards your religious values. The bottom line is that our
ravs don't have the information, education or training to be making
determinations if a sex crime had occurred. Just as I would not go to a
rav to determine if I needed open heart surgery, I would not go to a rav
to determine if a sex crime had occurred.

My suggestion is that
our rabbis send a few students to graduate school, let them volunteer at
rape crisis centers, let them study law enforcement and then maybe I
and many others would feel differently about them making a determination
if a child or adult was molested or raped.

Those who know him say he accepted the verdict as if it was a liberation. The priest was accused of having abused a 13-year-old boy. He confessed to be the author of other 38 similar cases.

Those who know him say he accepted the guilty verdict as if it was a liberation. The second one after he was arrested, in 2005, with the charge of having abused a parishioner, a 13-year-old boy. "Finally someone helped me" said the priest when the carabinieri (the military police) went to arrest him. After years of dark, yesterday the former parish priest of Farneta, near Cortona (province of Arezzo), Pierangelo Bertagna, 46-years-old, was sentenced to 8 years in jail, with the abbreviated procedure. He committed sexual violence against 16 minors, as the same priest confessed in front of the judge. According to the report of a psychologist, deposited by the defense lawyers Francesca Mafucci and Annelise Anania, it emerged that in the '80s the priest had confided his attraction towards children to some people he trusted and who like himself belonged to the community "Ricostruttori nella preghiera", led by Gian Vittorio Cappelletto,

4 OUT OF THE 16 CASES CONFESSED REGARD 10 -YEAR- OLD MINORS. Most of the episodes happened near Cortona and in the Lazio region. When in 2005 the facts were discovered and the priest was arrested by the carabinieri, the town residents reacted harshly against him. Afterwards it was found out the 13-year-old boy had told his mother about his having been abused sexually and the parish priest admitted his responsibility and apologized. Later he confessed to the magistrate Ersilia Spena. "It was a kind of liberation -his defense lawyers said - for the priest had always looked for someone who could help him, but until then, those who had listened to his outbursts never moved a finger". It's being told that 38 were the cases confessed by the priest, not always against minors, not always using violence. The violence consisted of very profound caresses or some deeper contact; never, it seems, they consisted of a full intercourse. After the arrest, the bishop of Arezzo, Gualtiero Bassetti, suspended him "a divinis". Afterwards the priest asked the Pope to be reduced to the lay state and Benedict XVI dispensed him from all the obligations pertaining the priesthood. Bertagna was born at Gardone Val Trompia (Brescia) and his childhood was very difficult because he had also been sexually abused. Before entering the seminary (he became a priest when he was 39 years old) he had some odd jobs as a carpenter. Later he was appointed as a parish priest at Farneta. "Since he was arrested - concluded defense lawyer Maffucci - he spent his time in hermitages and doing volunteer activity. He never went back to Farneta. Paradoxically, now that he is under control and living in a protected place, Bretagna feels himself really free".

June 13, 2008

Posted by Kathy Shaw at 11:08 AM

Regarding Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch's Guidelines for Calling the Police

Jewish Survivors of Sexual Violence Speak Out

Regarding Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch's Guidelines for Calling the Police

Vicki Polin - CEO, The Awareness Center, Inc.

It saddens me a great deal to read the posting on Daas Torah's blog. With all the information and education that is available to our rabbonim it appears that they are still refusing to learn from their past mistakes. I'll admit that I have never heard of Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch until I received an e-mail with the link to this blog. (Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch, shlita, senior member of the Jerusalem Beit Din Tzedek (Jewish Religious Court)

My hope by providing the following information will help to prevent one more child from being harmed and that those who are already victims of sex crimes, the will be able to receive the proper help.

It's obvious that Rabbi Sternbuch is lacking basic knowledge about sex offenders and the needs of those who have been sexually violated as children. The most important message that needs to get out is that each of us should consider ourselves mandated reporters. This basically means if you SUSPECT a child is in danger you have to call your local hotline, rape crisis center or police. You don't go to a rabbi to get permission or have them make the call. The key word here is "SUSPECT." We need to leave all the investigating and fact finding/gathering to law enforcement and not our rabbonim.

One has to wonder how many other children Alan Beier might have molested. ("Former teacher gets four years for sex abuse of student," June 9)

We all have to realize that the majority of offenses committed against our children are never reported. If they are reported, it will not be until many years later. The majority of survivors don't come forward until they are in their 40s, 50s or beyond.

Maryland is one of the few states that has no statute of limitations on criminal charges being pressed against an alleged sex offender. However, it does have an archaic limitation for survivors of child sexual abuse to file a civil suit. We have to remember most of those who were molested do not realize how it has affected their lives until they have lived them. Survivors of child sexual abuse need to be compensated for their pain and suffering. Maryland needs to abolish the statute of limitations retroactively. There also should not be any financial caps on compensation.

Sunday, June 08, 2008

NOTE FROM A RELIABLE SOURCE: The rapist in Har Nof is allegedly being sheltered by Rabbi Sternbuch. Rabbi
Sternbuch apparently told his wife she has to divorce him. He is from a
prominent chareidi family. This is the avreich who was raping young
girls in the basement of buildings and who would rape young girls as
they walked home from beit knesset on erev Shabbat. So now the young
girls are still in danger.

No one is allowed to release the
rapists name. Who is more important? To Rabbi Sternbuch the rapist and
his family. Mothers warn your daughters and mothers in chul who send you
daughters to Jerusalem or anywhere else where there is a chareidi
community. Tell the to be on guard against this rapist who is at large
and roaming free in Israel.

If you have more information about this case, please forward it to VickiPolin@aol.com

Rav Moshe Sternbuch, shlita - Guidelines for calling the Police
There is a widespread impression that the police and the chareidi
world have an inherently antagonistic relationship. There is also a
widespread perception that the chareidi world is more concerned with
covering up crimes such as child or wife abuse and that pedophiles are
given free run. In other words there is a perception that the chareidi
community is more worried by adverse publicity then it is about the
welfare of the individual.

This Shabbos I had an intensive discussion with Rav Moshe Sternbuch, shlita about these issues.

1) Child Molesters

He stated without hesitation and said that I can quote him - that if
one knows that children are being molested that one should call the
police. He noted that there is an important distinction to
keep in mind. One calls the police when it is clear that someone is
still in danger. Thus one does not automatically call the police
concerning an event that took place once and is not going to be
repeated. In such a case one should first consult with a
rav. When I mentioned that many rabbis apparently felt differently – he
dismissed such a view as being wrong. He noted also that it is important
for the community rabbis to have a good working relationship with the
police. That means that the police need to be sensitive to the needs and
nature of the chareidi community and the community needs to be
understanding of the police. He said that there is such a relationship
with many police forces.

The rule is summarized simply – if one knows that someone is being physically abused or will be abused than it is required to call the police after consulting a rabbi who agrees he is a future danger as is common in such cases.

2) Vigilante actions

I mentioned the issue of vigilante actions in the chareidi community
and whether they are to be praised or condemned. He noted that there
are unfortunately disturbed and misguided individuals in the chareidi
community – as there are in other communities. The general rule is not
to make a public protest when the problem is rare and insignificant. He
said that it only encourages these individuals when their activities are
publicized. However if they progress beyond this stage then it is
important to take action. He mentioned the Bedatz dealt last year with
vigilantes who burned down a clothing store in Geula. I mentioned the recent incident in Beitar. He said he condemned such behavior. If it is clearly not a rare act of a disturbed person then it needs to be dealt with.

[This is also related to the recent outbreak of burglaries in Har
Nof where Rav Sternbuch lives. The unanimous ruling of the rabbonim of
Har Nof is that one can call the police on Shabbos if one witnesses a
break-in as there is also life danger involved. As is explained in
Shmiras Shabbos K’hilchosa (41:25-29) – this is because the possible
danger associated with these break-ins. See also Aruch HaShulchan (C.M.
388:7). Tzitz Eliezer (19:52) also permitted calling the police in the
case of teacher molesting his students. He based his psak on the Aruch
HaShulchan.]

Realize this well. Rabbi Sternbuch is saying that rabbis should decide
whether crimes should be reported to the police. He is also saying that
anything – even child rape – that can be classified as a "one time" occurrence should not be reported.

And how do rabbis determine if this child rape is a one time occurrence
or not? Obviously, if they know of a previous "one time" occurrence with
this rapist, then calling the police might be in order.

What this rabbinic 'genius' has just done is allow child rapists and
molesters – the crimes with the highest recidivism rate known to man –
to walk free to rape and abuse some more, until they are caught for a
second – or third, or fourth – time.

Who is to say Rabbi A will know that Rabbi B already ruled Child Rapist
Rabbi X to be a "one time" rapist? And who says Rabbi C will know this 9
months later or Rabbi D 13 months later?

In other words, with no mandated reporting, there can be no effective
tracking. Even if one were to buy into Rabbi Sternbuch's fantasy, there
is no way to make that fantasy work.

Rabbi Sternbuch has just guaranteed that many more haredi women and
children will be raped and molested, and their haredi abusers will walk
free – under the protection of rabbis.

Following
Vicki Polin's original public statement regarding Rabbi Moshe
Sternbuch's Guidelines for calling the police is a statement written by
Rabbi Dr. Daniel Eidensohn on his blog
called Daas Torah's blog. Rabbi Sternbuch is the Chief Rabbi of the
Orthodox Rabbinical
Courts in Har Nof, Jerusalem, Israel and is telling his community
members that they MUST get permission from a rabbi prior to contacting
child protective services or any form of law enforcement ins suspected
cases of child abuse or neglect. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

Police remanded two men Wednesday suspected of more than 20 sexual
attacks on young boys in an ultra-Orthodox Jerusalem neighborhood. One
of the two, a 17-year-old, is suspected of attacking an 11-year-old boy
who lives in the neighborhood.

The
case came to light after the head of the yeshiva where the alleged
victim studies told the boy's father six months ago that boy had told
him an older boy had accosted him on the bus. The boy said the
17-year-old persuaded him the get off the bus with him, took him to the
yeshiva where the older boy studies and molested him in the bathroom.

On
the basis of the principal's allegations, the father filed a complaint
with the police. On Tuesday, after the boy told his father he saw his
alleged attacker on the street, the father called the police, who
arrested the suspect. He confessed to nine other attacks on neighborhood
boys.

Meanwhile,
in the same neighborhood, a 43-year-old man was arrested and remanded
Wednesday for molesting boys in recent years. Two teenage boys who
complained that the man had molested them said he had attacked at least
10 boys, some of them allegedly friends of his children.

The
suspect's attorney, Kobi Segal, said his client denied the allegations.
Durng his remand hearing, the man said the complaints against him came
from neighborhood people who were persecuting him because he led a more
liberal lifestyle than others in the quarter.

During
the hearing, the suspect presented polygraph results which he said he
had taken of his own accord, and that he said he passed.

Police
said Wednesday, in contrast to the statements of the suspect's lawyer,
suspicions about the man had grown stronger over the past few days, and
additional complainants have come forward since his arrest.

A pedophile has allegedly been preying on children in Har Nof Jerusalem.

There's an email circulating about a pedophile who has been preying
on kids in Har Nof, Jerusalem. A neighborhood activist asked Rabbi Moshe
Shternbuch if police could be called to report the pedophile if he
trued to grab a child on Shabbos – which apparently happened last week.

Rabbi Shternbuch said police should be called, even on Shabbos, and
that pictures can be taken of the pedophile even on Shabbos, but added
that when possible, the call and the photography should be done with a shinui, meaning that a person should, but only if possible without delaying, make a change in how s/he would regularly dial the phone or take the picture. (Halakhicly, a shinui should not be used if it would delay reaching police or if it would reduce the quality or quantity of the pictures taken.)

A prent asked Rabbi Shterbuch about publicizing the existence of the
pedophile,and Rabbi Shternbuch said it should be publicized.

The Rav told me to publicise in his name that he has not
allowed any chillul Shabbos midaorayso, the Rav feels that if
there is no issur Torah it is allowed what is absolutely necessary
as this is a tzorah drabim, this does not include taking photos .
The rav has never allowed going around with a telephone and camera
on Shabbos, in special situations a rav must be consulted.

Rafoel Rechnitzer

---------------------------------
I also confirmed with Rav Treibitz that he gave a heter [for those who
had seem him] to call the police on Shabbos and to carry a camera on
Shabbos to take his picture because the police said that if they knew
what he looked like they would surely catch him. He told me that
unfortunately there have been a number of victims already.

During November and December a pedophile attacked children in Brand
street and on the 28th December 2 girls avoided being attacked on
HaKablan Street, due to the brave act of one girl whose father warned
her about the pedophile. She screamed “Kidnapper!” and he fled.
Unfortunately he molested another girl two buildings away 15 minutes
later. Unfortunately, 10 minutes before the HaKablan incident, the pedophile accosted two girls (ages 9-10) on Katznelbogen at the corner of Agassi.One girl was molested.the person’s description is 30 years old, around 5’10 full black beard,kova “knaitch” (Borsalino style), regular suit length jacket. The bestthis will do is eliminate men who do not meet this description.The incident was reported to the police.It has been rumored that a pedophile struck 3 times within the last month at Katznelbogen 2/4/6I haven’t heard that the pedophile or maybe pedophiles have been caught

May Hashem protect our children and may the pedophiles be caught and jailed soon

Subject: Re; Warning to parents – pedophile operating in Ramat Beit Shemesh – similar to the pedophile in Har Nof

Warning It
has come to our attention that there is a man operating in Ramat Bet
Shemesh who has reportedly lured and attacked young girls.His
modus operandi is reportedly that he approaches a young girl and invites
her to “help him” in darkened or secluded areas (machsanim, car parks,
etc) and then he attacks the girl. (This method may change – so it is
better not to be too specific when discussing this with your children –
see below).

Anyone who notices anything strange of this nature should immediately call the police and if possible take photos.If one sees a child being lured or led into such a dark/secluded
area, or into a vehicle, one should certainly intervene, without placing
oneself in danger, such as by asking the child if the man is her/his
father. Please note any identifying information, such as location of
incident, description of the person and what he is wearing, ethnicity,
age, unusual facial characteristics, smells and any other details, even
if they seem inconsequential at the time.For victims, it’s essential that the police are informed and they can
interview any children involved (which is done solely by highly trained
experts), so that they can investigate and arrest this person, and also
so the child can receive professional assistance if required. Please
contact the Police and Magen if you have any information or you need
assistance in coping with this problem.It’s essential to know where our children are at all times and
specifically they should be calmly instructed NOT to speak to adults
they don’t know, and NEVER to go with an adult they don’t know, even if
the adult asks them to do a mitzva, offers them candy or says he’s lost,
and even if he looks frum (as this man reportedly does). It is a good
idea to role-play these situations with your children, telling them to
quickly walk away if someone they don’t know tries to talk to them, and
scream loudly if anyone (including people they do know) tries to touch
them on areas of the body which are normally covered – and they should
immediately tell their parents and/or other trusted adult.

Dear Friends,This past erev Shabbos the Har Nof Weekly "Shechunaton" ran a largeadvertisement from the pedophile, Mr. Daniel Sunray, for his jewlrey business which is now located in Bayit Vegan. It is highly offensive and inappropriate that an individual who was driven out of the neighborhood after escaping conviction for abuse of numerous local children should be given space in a local newspaper as if he were a normal member of the community. True, every Jew has the right to support his family, but such an offender should a sense of shame and have the decency to refrain from advertising himself openly in the neighborhood he was compelled to leave.If you feel as I do, please register your protest with the Har Nof Weekly, e-mail HarNofWeekly@... or phone number 02 579 7641. It is important they hear from many people. Please forward this email to others on your list.In addition, I would also recommend that anyone who has friends in Bayit Vegan inform them about this new resident of their neighborhood. There is no issue of lashon hora. To the contrary, it is essential that people be aware who Mr. Sunray is in order to protect their children. Clinical studies demonstrate that pedophiles do not reform on their own, and the offender will almost certainly look for future opportunities to practice his sick behavior.Avraham Nadler

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Survivors ARE Heroes!

The Awareness Center believes ALL survivors of sex crimes should be given yellow ribbons to wear proudly.

Survivors of sexual violence (as adults and/or as a child) are just as deserving of a yellow ribbon as the men and women of our armed forces, who have been held captive as hostages or prisoners of war.

Survivors of sexual violence have been forced to learn how to survive, being held captive not by foreigners, but mostly by their own family members, teachers, camp counselors, coaches babysitters, rabbis, cantors or other trusted authority figures.

For these reasons ALL survivors of sexual violence should be seen as heroes!